Playdates - Bottled Garden

Date:  Sep 25, 2015

Tonight playdates is to make bottled garden for the two young ladies.

(Jay’s one has been submitted to the school for young botanist application)

A bottled garden is planting the flowers into a big bottle.  And seal the bottle and place the bottled garden at a place that has a bit of sunlight (not direct sun).  The bottled garden will create its own eco-system inside the bottle.  You shouldn’t have to open it for many many years and the plants will grow in there.

It is also called a terrarium, vivarium … Here are some of the info that can be found on the web… (for kids readings).

A bottled garden since 1960:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2267504/The-sealed-bottle-garden-thriving-40-years-fresh-air-water.html

Bottled garden education:  http://wikieducator.org/Life_in_a_Bottle

How to grow a garden in a bottle:  http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Garden-in-a-Bottle

Let’s get started.

First auntie Boon Ching must explained how the whole thing works!

Bottle must have rocks and soil inside...

Colette carefully places the plants into the bottle.

It is not that hard.  Let the adult put in the rocks, sands and soil, and let the kid plants their own plants.

Why the kids want to do it? 

Well, they get very excited when they hear that this bottled garden will “grow together” with them, and will survive for 10-20-30 years… or even longer… 

Inspired by the recent visit to the Lego show case at the National Library, Colette build a “watch tower” using Lego, and place it inside.

Hahaha… Not bad looking… A tower inside the bottled garden.

A job well done!

Let’s take photo with her best buddy.

Now it’s Ashlyn’s turn.

What did Ashlyn just put inside the bottle?

A small little Lego lodge/house.  Sweet!

That is a 100% happy & satisfaction smile!

Ashlyn & Jay, her playdates buddy.

Wait!  What did Kay Kay put inside?

My mini Lego Aeroplane.

My blue Lego bicycle.

His Minecraft Lego Moo-Moo cow.

Jay build a yellow tall Lego Cranes.

Kay’s Minecraft Lego pig (red colour one)...

Well, as long as the kids enjoys it.  Let them put whatever they want.

(Oh my limited edition blue Lego bicycle).

Oh ya… Don’t forget to water a lot of water into the bottled garden.  Otherwise you can make the Eco-Systems.

Finally, its time to seal it.

Still very happy to have a bottle garden of her own.

They girls are happy.

Now, here comes the facts.

Suddenly, my son asked his mommy, “Why do you use Cork to seal the bottled garden?"

Then, he suddenly talk non-English… “A cork can flow on water… but after sometimes, cork will … "

(a lot of science theory)….

Then, mommy suddenly realise her mistake….

Wahahahahaha… The cork might dried up, or the cork might suck up the water inside the bottle and transfer it outside… Just like the wine bottle cork stopper...

etc etc… 

I also don’t exactly know what was the discussion….

So, it has 51% to survive….

If it does not, don’t worry, we can always make another one with proper bottles… those comes with real glass top… So you can completely 100% seal the eco-systems inside...

Oh ya… Today’s playdate, the kids have this wonderful (actually a bit too sweet) agar-agar...

Mommy trying to make her own agar-agar birthday cake.  So, she still got 2 weeks to make it right.

The colour looks nice!

The kids seems to love it.

Ya… mommy going to make this for you...

大口大口地吃

We try to have a weekly playdates for the kids.

And some how the chemistry was quite OK for the Smith’s family to join us.

The kids need a routine playdates so that they know and they can remember how much they enjoy playing together.

A playdates is about playing Legos, playing hide and seek (hiding a small object not themselves), playing with the cats, having food such as Mac & Cheese or Chicken rice, Eating desserts such as Ice Cream, Agar-agar, special event such as making clays, drawings, or making bottled garden, watching “Battle Bots” together (to inspire young girls to build fighting robots), hiding my cats under my blankets, and many more.

The kids will remember these childhood, not a kampung one, but the one that they have so much fun of.

The kids are looking forward every week to meet up for playdates.

I am glad these kids are happy!